You’ve probably known this about us for quite a while, but we love sushi. We always have. We always will. And in a town with SO MANY great options for sushi, everyone seems to have their favorite sushi spot.
Mine just so happens to be Lou’s Sushi on the corner of 23rd and P St. in Midtown. Their menu is full of creative rolls and fresh nigiri and sashimi offerings. Not to mention the array of seriously good specialty dishes (I’m talking about you, Secret Tofu). They also have a nice selection of sake and beer to sip on while you enjoy you’re the food crafted by Lou’s talented staff.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll love the fact Lou’s has an entire section of the menu dedicated to specialties, sushi and even nigiri to fit your dietary needs. Even if you eat meat, you shouldn’t overlook this section of the menu!
Here’s what we ordered during our trip to Lou’s!
Vegan Mushroom Tempura – remember when I told you to not overlook the vegan options? These Oyster mushrooms are coated in panko breadcrumbs, fried and then tossed in a house made sweet and sour sauce.
Stir Fried Green Beans – The name says it all. Green beans stir fried in a savory soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds. These were cooked to the perfect firmness!
Secret Tofu – The cat’s out of the bag on this one. Tofu is fried up crispy and smothered in a creamy garlic sauce. This tofu was one of the highlights of our meal. If you think you don’t like tofu, this will make you reconsider.
Veggie Tempura – Crisp and flavorful, fried to a light golden brown. Everything was cooked to perfection! Each veggie had a nice crunch without being underdone.
Chef’s Choice Nigiri – Nigiri is simple, flavorful and perfect for sharing. I never know what fish I want, so I always opt for chef’s choice.
The M-N-M – Tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, with unagi, avocado, masago & Lou’s amazing sweet-n-spicy sauce.
The Firecracker – The jalapenos on top should not be taken lightly! If you’re into spice, this is the roll for you.
And finally, dessert! We opted for tempura strawberries over vanilla ice-cream because how could we not?
The best part is, we’re giving away THREE 15% coupons to Lou’s on our Instagram this week! Go to @sacfoodies, find our Lou’s post and tag 2 foodie friends that you’d like to share an awesome meal with. The giveaway ends this Friday at 5:00pm PST!
No purchase necessary to win. Winner must be following @sacfoodies and will be randomly selected. A winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday, 12/22.
Sac Burger Battle 2017
Burger. Battle. Burger. Battle (Sing this to the tune of “Jaws”). Do you ever have that dream where you’re surrounded by battling burgers? No? Oh well. Either way, a very real and non-dream Burger Battle took place at Sacramento’s Cesar Chavez Park this September, and SacFoodies were on the scene to report back.
The most incredible part about Sac Burger Battle 2017 (besides the burgers, obviously) was the camaraderie and overall joyous atmosphere. Everyone working the booths was laughing, slinging jaw-dropping burgers and taking the time to chat with attendees. The booths were set up so that there was plenty of room to maneuver, grab drinks and chat with your friends. ALSO, the plates provided came with a built-in drink holder! We had never seen a plate like this before and were dumbfounded – it meant you could hold your plate and drink in one hand while grabbing as many burgers as possible with the other – but we digress. Read on for our top choices from the throw down:
Laurel:
My absolute favorite burger (which comes as no surprise to anyone that knows me) was from South. It managed to be both soft and crunchy and ended with a nice pickle-y tang.
Cheyenne:
It was seriously hard to pick a favorite, but the way that the flavors of the Nixtaco burger mingled together, helped it step about in front the of the rest! The meat was cooked to perfection, the bun held up with all of the delicious ingredients.
Jessi:
My favorite burger was from Bacon and Butter! Their burger had bacon two ways, blended into the patty, and on top! Paired with crispy shallot rings and black garlic aioli, it was a 10/10 from me. I even went back for seconds!
Between the craft beer, cider and cocktail selection, Sac Burger Battle boasted an impressive array of local beverages to choose from. And between the three of us we have a cider, beer and cocktail enthusiast, so it was the perfect mix of drinks!
The proceeds from this event went to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, which dedicates itself to finding cures to Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis. As much as we love food and drinks, we especially love eating and drinking for a cause. It was moving to see the community come together for such a worthy cause and showed the power of the food and beverage community in Sacramento. Over the past 6 years, Sac Burger Battle has raised over $200,000 for the foundation! If you’re inspired to contribute, you can still buy the official Sac Burger Battle t-shirt, with all proceeds being donated to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Hands down, Sac Burger Battle 2017 was one of our favorite events of the year to date. We got to eat delicious burgers, try craft drinks of every type of drink and commune with our fabulous foodie friends. Our only complaint? We got too full to try every burger! Guess we’ll have to keep trying burgers all over Sacramento . . . we really are dedicated to our work :).
We hope you all get the chance to attend Sac Burger Battle next year, but for now, make your very own Burger Tour around Sacramento! All restaurants who participated are listed below – let us know what your favorite is!
To learn more about the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, click here.
To learn more about Sac Burger Battle, click here.
To check out @BurgerJunkies (Sac Burger Battle Founder and burger enthusiast extraordinaire), click here.
You're Gonna Want a Pizza This!
By Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt and Laurel Harrison
October is National Pizza Month! We stopped by Pizza Rock for a pizza feast to kick off the month, and what a feast it was!
Laurel:
Even though I’ve lived in/near Sacramento since childhood, I had never been to Pizza Rock on K Street before last Friday. Because I’m a strict thin-crust pizza aficionado and I’ve found that many large pizza places don’t get them right, I tend to stay away from larger pizza joints on the whole. However, my friends and coworkers raved about Pizza Rock, so when SacFoodies was invited to sample some menu items, I was very excited especially since Pizza Rock’s Executive Chef, Laura Meyer, was at the dinner to talk about the different offerings.
The food at Pizza Rock exceeded my expectations by 1 gazillion percent. I was so incredibly surprised and pleased at the quality of the pizza, the inventiveness, and the culinary knowledge displayed by Chef Meyer.
We tried everything from classic Neapolitan pizza to Detroit “Blue-Steel Pan” pizza, with lots of happy dances in-between. Chef Meyer said it best when she told us that the ideal pizza should be light enough that you can eat, have a drink and go out dancing without feeling tired or bloated. And guess what, Foodie Friends? I ate the pizza, had a drink, and went out dancing – and it was awesome.
Personally, my favorite pizza of the night was the “Cracker-Thin Chicago Michigan Avenue,” a super-thin crust pizza with spicy pepperoni and crispy, bubbly cheese. Like I said – thin-crust pizza all the way, baby. I will definitely be returning to Pizza Rock in the future, and, thanks to Chef Meyer, have a great sense of the range Pizza Rock has to offer.
Cheyenne:
When SacFoodies got the invite to sample some of Pizza Rock’s menu to kick off National Pizza Month I was thrilled! I had only been to Pizza Rock once before, but the vibe and great food made the experience a memorable one. I am a pizza connoisseur, I like thin crust, hand-tossed, deep dish and wood-fire. If it is pizza, I will try it.
When we sat down for the tasting and saw the array of options that were coming to us, to say I was excited would be an understatement! Pizza Rock’s Executive Chef really puts her time, energy and passion behind each dish, and you can taste it! Pizza is a fine science, and I would consider her the Marie Curie of the Pizza Rock kitchen. We ate A LOT of pizza, but it didn’t leave me feeling weighed down or sleepy. Just satisfied with a delicious meal and ready for the rest of the night.
It was really hard to pick a favorite because at some point in the night each and every slice was my top pick. One of the most unique to me was the Detroit Red Top pizza. This pizza is cooked in a blue-steel pan (which aren’t made anymore, thank goodness Pizza Rock has a few!), with Cabot and Brick cheeses and Butter toasted Cheese corners. You read it right… There. Was. A. Cheese. Skirt. On. The. Pizza! They didn’t stop there though, the garlic oil, and two racing stripes of sauce finished off this creation. When the pizza came out, all of our jaws literally dropped because it looks like a monster of a meal, but the slices were light and airy when we bit into them and Oh, so delicious!
Though it was hard to pick, my absolute favorite of the night and a Pizza Rock exclusive was the Sausage and Stout Pizza. This pie starts with a honey malted dough made with “Homeland Stout” from the New Helvetica Brewery, house-made beer sausage and mozzarella (the only pizza you will find this on), Caramelized Onions, Crushed Red Peppers, Beer Salt and a Sweet Stout Reduction. The sweetness of the honey merged so well with the stout in the dough, and those flavors paired perfectly with each ingredient. This pizza is going to be hard to beat for me. If you stop by Pizza Rock, you HAVE to try this one.
Pizza Rock’s menu is huge, and you will not be disappointed. Great drinks like the Sweet Home Alabama and the Fat Bottomed Girl (yes, that’s really the name) and delicious appetizers like the Coccoli (Think a hollow, savory donut served with burrata and prosciutto) round out the dining experience!
It’s the perfect time to stop by Pizza Rock to indulge in one of these beauties. Let us know which pie is your pick!
"Nacho" Average Afternoon at the SacTown Nachos Festival
By Jessica Gunn
Two Saturdays ago, a few of the SacFoodies attended the inaugural SacTown Nachos Festival, held at Downtown’s Cesar Chavez Park. We were intrigued by all of the buzz surrounding the festival and by the promise of nacho-mania, so we sunscreened-up and ventured into the Sacramento heat!
At this point, the SacFoodies have attended our fair share of food festivals, fetes, and fairs. One of the top things a festival can do right (in our opinion) is have a location with shade – and this one had it! If the food is good but you’re too hot and have nowhere to sit, it puts a pretty significant damper on the day. It was a really good call on the part of the Nacho Festival to the have the event in a park. Not only was there shade, there was plenty of grass to sit on and space to stretch out. Also, being in the center of downtown made this event convenient and easy to get to! We love it when we can attend central events because they completely open up the possibilities of the day – you can walk to your favorite bar after, catch a movie, or just stroll around, rather than having to drive from a remote location.
Now for what we came here for…….the NACHOS. Being dairy-free and attending a nacho festival usually wouldn’t mix but I decided to try it out anyway. No surprise, Chando’s nachos didn’t disappoint. They happily made my nachos without cheese or sour cream and they were so good. Spicy adobada with fresh onions, tons of cilantro, and guacamole, all served over fresh tortilla chips. The combination of spicy meat and fresh salsas was really unbeatable, especially paired with a cold Modelo! I don’t venture out into 110 degree heat often, but from now on I expect delicious dairy free nachos every time I do.
Overall I would declare the first SacTown Nacho Fest a success. Besides the nachos we tried, we also got a peek at some of the other delicious treats from The Roaming Spoon, Gameday Grill, and OMG! Yogurt! They looked amazing and I wish I had room in my stomach to sample each one. ‘Til next time, Foodies!
Pasta La Vista + Giveaway
There are a few things that foodies can’t say no to, and pasta is one of them! When Romano’s Macaroni Grill asked us if we would like to try some of their signature menu items AND have it delivered to the office, our answer was a resounding YES.
Cheyenne: Pasta the Chicken Parm my way! We were so excited to have the Macaroni Grill cater our lunch meeting last week. When they sent over the menu we were impressed by the variety available to us. “Create Your Own Pasta,” a multitude of signature entrees, sides and even dessert, made it really hard to pick exactly what we wanted to enjoy. We settled on two versions of the “Create Your Own Pasta”: Penne with Pomodoro and Penne with Pesto, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes and spinach (per the recommendation of the catering manager), Chicken Parmesan, salad, roasted veggies and, of course, rosemary peasant bread. The delivery was a breeze and Macaroni Grill set everything up, labeled each dish and provided us with all of the necessary essentials for us to enjoy our meal with the greatest of ease. The food was delicious! The pasta was cooked to perfection and the sauce tasted so authentic it was as if someone’s grandma was in the kitchen stirring the pot. The roasted veggies were still crisp and flavorful. I think the Chicken Parmesan was the real winner for the office. As soon as we sat down to eat, everyone raved over the dish. It was breaded perfectly, had just enough sauce and the most important part (to me at least) the CHEESE! Overall the meal was delicious, the process was easy and the foodies were full and happy!
Laurel: Ayyyy, Maca (roni!) Macaroni Grill catered our office lunch last week, much to the delight of the SacFoodies. It’s always a treat to have a hot meal during office lunch meetings, and Macaroni Grill absolutely delivered! We were able to order everything in advance from their online menu, even using the “Create Your Own Pasta” feature to fit the different tastes and dietary restrictions in the office. When Macaroni Grill arrived, they had everything labeled perfectly and clearly, set up the lunch (on a paper tablecloth, just like you get at the restaurant!) and made sure we had everything we needed before leaving. It was really nice to have a lunch delivery that took care of everything, from the actual delivery to the food organization and set up. All of the dishes came in individual and re-sealable containers, which were perfect for saving leftovers. Our meal consisted of several pasta dishes, Chicken Parmesan, salad, roasted vegetables, and, of course, their rosemary bread. While I liked everything that we ordered, my favorite (just like Cheyenne) was the Chicken Parmesan – it was breaded, cheesy deliciousness. I liked being able to order such a complete meal from one location and have something for all tastes and appetites. It’s always helpful and convenient to have a reliable restaurant on call for office lunches; being able to order easily and count on full-service delivery cuts down on the stress of having to set up a large lunch during the work day.
We think it’s easy to see that we like Macaroni Grill! Lucky for us, it turns out they like us (and our followers) a lot too. Head over to our Instagram @sacfoodies or Facebook Page to see how you can win a Macaroni Grill gift card!
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